The much awaited Virar-Dahanu services will take off by March 2013. The Western Railway (WR) on Wednesday said it is procuring 20 rakes, including 10 new and 10 retrofitted ones, in this fiscal year.

The much awaited Virar-Dahanu services will take off by March 2013. The Western Railway (WR) on Wednesday said it is procuring 20 rakes, including 10 new and 10 retrofitted ones, in this fiscal year.

As soon as these rakes are acquired, Electrical Multiple Units (EMU) will be introduced on Virar-Dahanu stretch extending the suburban services from Churchgate to Dahanu.

The extension of Virar– Dahanu suburban services was part of the 2012-13-railway budget. Though the infrastructure is already in place, the service has not been started because the WR did not have enough rakes.

“We will acquire the rakes in two phases. In the first phase 10 new 12-car rakes will arrive from Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai within six months. In the second phase, 10 retrofitted rakes will be available, with help of which we will start new services sanctioned in budget and Virar–Dahanu extended services also,” said Sharat Chandrayan, chief public relations officer (PRO), WR.